Jerod Mayo’s high school coach proudly watched from the second row as he was officially introduced to the media as the 15th head coach of the new england patriots. Jerod mayo, the patriots’ head coach, and tommy austin, his high school football coach. Both teams were far away from virginia, but tommy austin always wished he’d seen jerod mayo play at gillette stadium during his eight-year career in the NFL.
Mayo, the seven-time patriots captain, had kept in touch with his mentor from kecoughtan high school, though, as he retired and began a new career in media and corporate america. Austin made sure to catch a game as mayo returned to coaching with new england a few years back.not even a snowstorm the night before would discourage austin from heading to foxborough on wednesday to see mayo officially introduced as the franchise’s next head coach.
Austin got to his second-row seat almost an hour before the press conference began, thanks to his daughter. Austin said afterward, pulling a red handkerchief out of his sports coat to wipe a few tears, “this is the highlight of my life.” mayo succeeds bill belichick, who drafted him in the first round of the 2008 nfl draft and hired him to be the team’s inside linebackers coach in 2019. The patriots chairman and ceo sat beside mayo on a platform on wednesday, joined by Robert Kraft before the media, to express his conviction in the franchise’s cornerstone to the media. “we try to create a culture in which people want to stay and be there long-term,” Kraft said, adding, “i think jerod has the structure and structure – and it’s genuine.”
The patriots chairman and ceo sat beside mayo on a platform on wednesday, joined by robert kraft before the media, to express his conviction in the franchise’s cornerstone to the media. “we try to create a culture in which people want to stay and be there long-term,” kraft said, adding, “i think Jerod has the structure and structure – and it’s genuine.” “what he has is true.” he says. Consider how he was elected captain in his second year with us, when we had a lot of veterans. I think you were a captain for seven years. He was captain during a pivotal time.“austin knew this to be true and probably longer than anyone else in the room except for mayo’s mother, stepdad, and grandparents.
The newly appointed coach explained how he’d continue to build on Belichick experience while remaining true to his own style of coaching and development. Mayo said, “i’m not trying to be bill.” “i think bill is his own man,” bill says. I’m a little bit different up here, if you can tell by now. But the more i think about bill’s lessons, the more i realize that hard work pays off. Hard work pays off, and that’s what we’re all about,” mayo said. although he upheld the patriots’ tradition, he maintained it long before entering the nfl or even college.
Austin was hired to coach the kids during mayo’s sophomore year of high school, keeping them motivated on and off the field. Mayo is credited with being part of a core group that set goals for the rest of the squad, according to him. Years later, austin listened as his ex-student shared the same approach to leading his own first team.
That success he had had a lot to do with the weight room, for him. The school was only open 49 weeks a year, and mayo and his brothers even toured the facility during christmas break. Austin said, “we created a culture of transparency and responsibility.” “we told our children that we want you to sit in the front row of the classroom,” he said.
We want you to excel in the classroom. We want you to be considerate of others and act in the hallway. Be a great leader, not just on the field but off the field as well. They lived up to that desire, according to mayo, who believes that the weight room would be just as important in evaluating the team’s players. The patriots will start fresh here. He acknowledges that the best teams on which he ever played were ones where teammates encouraged hard work and sacrifice.
Austin is confident that mayo will be the one to re-inspire this buy-in. When mayo spoke to him about the excitement he was receiving from teams around the nfl, he told him he had a dream of being a head coach,” austin said. “he set a goal and a timeline, which is the kind of person he is,” he said, but i was excited to hear it. When he first entered coaching, i was surprised because he was already a coach on the field as a sophomore in high school.” back then, mayo worked out under a set of six-foot banners.
One emphasizes the importance of the team over the individual. The other almost foreshadowed his football career, preserving a patriots championship tradition and taking it upon himself to ensure it is preserved. After the press conference, austin wraps up polite talks with local boston reporters eager to hear who mayo was back then.
Not much has changed, and mayo’s loved ones may have predicted the result, but it doesn’t mean they’re less proud. Before media obligations ruled the rest of his day, the former high school coach hoped to get a photo taken with mayo. Austin is reminded of an old friend who was there. “our defensive coordinator has passed away,” austin says, referring to the g.p.’s high glass ceilings. When choking back, the atrium tears.
